Let’s face it, drinking beer won’t provide you with a significant nutritional boost, but you’ll probably continue to do so. Tricia Leininger, a dietician at UnityPoint Health, believes that’s OK. She does, however, want to give you some advice so you may choose wisely when placing your order from the bartender.
Beer Calorie Count
Depending on the beer and the manufacturer, Calories in beer might vary. According to Leininger, a 12-ounce portion of beer typically has 150 calories, compared to 50 to 100 calories for light beer. (A pint is 16 ounces, by the way.)
Alcohol and carbs (starches and sugar from unfermented grain) are the two sources of calories in beer, according to Leininger. “The alcohol concentration of beer has a major impact on its caloric content. Due to its lower alcohol concentration, light beer contains less calories.
According to Leininger, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans allow men and women to consume up to two servings of alcohol each day. A serving is 12 ounces of beer with a volume alcohol content of 5%. (ABV). According to Leininger, the majority of domestic beers have an alcohol by volume (ABV) of about 5%.
“An other choice is to choose a non-alcoholic beer that has less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) per 12 ounce drink. To match the quantity of alcohol in one standard domestic beer, you would need to drink ten non-alcoholic beers, according to Leininger.
You should be careful of beers with a greater alcohol level, she continues. A serving size for specialty brewer beers is eight ounces since they may have an ABV of seven percent.
Leininger advises consumers seeking a low-calorie beer to search for words such as “light beer” or “calories under 120.”
infographic on beer
The amount of sugar in beer
Beer has very little sugar, if any at all. Alcohol is produced when the carbohydrates in the yeast ferment, according to Leininger.
You may be curious about those beers with orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, or even cookie dough added tastes.
Depending on the flavoring method, specialty flavored beers may include some extra calories from sugar. However, Leininger notes that the average calorie contribution is negligible.
Beer Health Benefits
Unfortunately, according to Leininger, there aren’t many benefits of drinking beer for health. According to her, drinking beer may raise your HDL, or good cholesterol, levels. When discussing binge drinking or excessive drinking, the risks associated with beer consumption are brought out. Additionally, weight gain will occur if you consume more calories than you expend.
According to Leininger, extra calories from carbohydrates, proteins, fats, or alcohol will be stored as body fat and contribute to weight increase.
She points out that having five light beers might result in an increase of 500 calories or more. Leininger further points out that drinking often causes hunger and a propensity to consume extra food during or after intake.
Pizza shops and all-night eateries are aware of the late-night clientele when the pubs shut, according to Leininger.
People who routinely consume large amounts of beer and different Beer styles should worry less about the growing waste line and more about a variety of other health issues. According to Leininger, the health issues include elevated chances of:
hepatitis & pancreatitis
oral, esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, liver, colon, and breast cancers
Stroke
elevated blood pressure
elevated triglycerides
heart attack
Speak to your health care physician if you have any concerns about your alcohol use.
